London Banks Issue 'Bigot' Threats Against Gay Rights Awards

Barclays and Coutts push Stonewall to drop prize designed to highlight prejudice

BARCLAYS and royal bankers Coutts have come out against a prestigious gay rights event, because it has a Bigot of the Year award.

Leading gay rights charity Stonewall holds its annual awards bash at the Victoria & Albert museum tomorrow night, hosted by Gok Wan, and among the gongs up for grabs is the booby prize known as Bigot of the Year.

This time around, among the Bigot nominees is head of the Catholic church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, and it is the controversial clergyman's inclusion that appears to have set off alarm bells at the two banks.